Christmas + New Year Opportunities through Hope Builders International – December, 2024 / January, 2025
Dear Friends,
At Christmas we honor the Lord Jesus for giving Himself for our sins and rising again to give us new Life. Following Jesus as Lord, dedicated believers around the world give their all in his service. Will you partner with us this Christmas in supporting them in this mission?
Nepal: A Warrior Goes Home
Two who have given all in Nepal are Resham Raj and Sita Poudel. Resham was a 5th generation Hindu priest. After reading the Gospel of Matthew and receiving the Lord Jesus as his Savior he began a lifetime of walking the mountains of Nepal preaching the Gospel wherever he went. Many came to the Lord. Eventually, the Poudels founded Nepal Gospel Center. Resham’s wife, Sita started their Bible Correspondence Course. Resham was jailed many times and tortured for his faith. NGC has led thousands of Nepalis to Christ and planted hundreds of churches. Their Bible Course has reached over 450,000 people.
NGC supports orphans and trains widows in sewing skills, providing sewing machines so they can earn a living and support their families.
In April, the Lord welcomed Resham Raj to glory. Thousands came for his funeral. We have been greatly blessed to know Resham and Sita. The ministry they pioneered continues to grow as workers they raised up travel from village to village taking the gospel throughout Nepal.
Sewing Machine: $100
Bicycles for Workers: $100
Motorcycle: $1000
Updates from India: Wells and Bibles Bring Daily & Eternal Hope
For many villages in India, clean water is not available. Women and children may walk several miles each day to collect and carry home water. In the same way that fresh water brings life to Indian villages, the Word of God brings the hope of Eternal Life to
those in darkness. The good news is our partners are providing life giving wells to such communities and bringing the word of God through Bibles in their own language. Join with others to fund wells and Bibles, and help give these missionaries an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with people in need of the true living water.
Well for an Indian Village: $1800
Bibles: $10 each
Updates from India: Ministry to Orphans has Generational Impact
Compassion for Orphans in India has been meeting the needs of abandoned and unloved children for almost 20 years. Hundreds of young ones have been raised in the love of Jesus through their loving care. At Christmas they take full advantage of the season, holding meetings for singing, sharing good food and speaking of the love of God to the surrounding villages.
Sponsor a Child: $35/month
New clothes & school supplies: $50
Updates from India: Pioneer Outreach among Mankidia Tribals
Leads to First School Graduations
Ten years ago, our partners in Odisha (formerly Orissa), India, began the first known outreach to the Mankidia people. This month, Mankidia tribal children completed the first stage of their education. Help our ministry partners continue reaching these unreached communities.
6 Month Evangelism Training for a Worker: $600
Cuba & Haiti: Farm Projects Address Famine Crisis
Haiti lies only 700 miles off the shore of Florida. Yet it is one of the neediest places on Earth. Constant gang warfare and violence lead to continual food shortages and famine. Similarly in Cuba, the repressive government keeps people in poverty. But Christian leaders are doing something about it.
Ministry leaders are raising funds to buy farmland for pastors for their congregations. The crops and animals like these pictured provide food for the people and income for ministry. On weekends these believers take the good news of hope in Jesus to their communities. Many are coming to Christ.
3 goats: $200
Farmland: $900
Summer Camps on Mt. Gilead
Every year hundreds of children and young adults attend summer camp in Jordan where they hear the Good News of Jesus in a clear and compelling way.
This year over 800 campers attended the camp held on the Biblical site of Mt. Gilead. These are times of abundant spiritual growth and transformation. Many young people experience the Lord’s saving touch for the first time. Young people come from Jordan, Syria and the West Bank of Palestine. What a wonderful opportunity this is to reach the future leaders of these Biblical lands.
Sponsor a Camper: $50
Ukraine Suffers Much, God’s People There to Serve
Tragically, the horror in Ukraine continues. Thankfully, so does housing, feeding and sharing the Gospel with the hurting people there. Hundreds of thousands have been fed from our partner’s base in Vinnytsia to the moving battle front in eastern Ukraine. Today, Internally Displaced People continue to find lodging and food. Wounded soldiers who are rehabbing in a local hospital are fed. Children are educated in a Christian school that has developed since the beginning of the war. The Lord Jesus is honored there. Glory to God!
Where Most Needed Worldwide
Want to make a great impact but don’t have a specific need or place in mind? Besides ministry needs already highlighted in this letter, a gift to Where Most Needed allows your gift to go to areas of immediate and strategic opportunity that our ministry partners often face. In situations of persecution and natural disasters we are able to send emergency funds as needed. Your gift of any amount to this fund is greatly appreciated.
What We Do
HBI helps national leaders in the nations they serve. Our ministry partners plant churches, strengthen new believers, provide Bibles and training materials, do job training, run schools and children’s homes and care for widows and orphans. We have been involved in this work for 30 years and count it a great blessing. We hope for you a joy filled Christmas season and pray that the new year will bring great advance to the Kingdom of God through our partnership.
Lance & Christie Thollander
www.hope-builders.org lance@hope-builders.org
P.O Box 91359 Austin, TX 78709
